Well-swabbing mechanism.



G. M. HEBTER.

WELL SWABBING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20, 1913.

Patented May 26, 1914.

PIC-L2" INVENTOR CHARLES M. HEETER, OF BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA.

WELL-SWABBING MECHANISM.

Losaeao.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented May 26, 1914.-

Application filed November 20, 1913. 7 Serial no. 802,080.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES M. Hnnrnn, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Butler, in the county of Butler and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new.

ward pull of the swab-forming piston or plunger. With present methods and apparatus, the gas pressure is not ordinaril'y available for assisting in this work, being excluded from the tubing by the accumulated water, the latter forming a seal around the inlet of the swabbing tube. The

invention herein provides a valve-controlled gas inlet for the tube which is spaced above the water collecting zone, so that when the pressure is sufiicient the admitted gas will.

operate to either blow the swab-raised water upwardly and out of the tube, or if the pres sure is insufiicient for this it will at least assist the water-lifting upward stroke of the swab and. to that extent decreasing the power that would otherwise'berequired to raise the swab.

A further feature of the invention is the provision for admitting gas to the space between the well tube and the swabbing tube throughout a considerable vertical area an area above that heretofore open forsu'ch admission, thereby facilitating the upward fiow of gas, and at the same time rendering such maximum flow available for the waterejecting operation;

In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of a portion ofa gas well embodying the improvements of the present invention. Fig. ,2 is a sectional detail of the valved trap for the swabbing tube; v Referring to the'drawings, 2. designates the swabbing tube of a deep well, primarily a gas-producing well, and 3 is the piston or plunger-like swab ,Which may be operated therein by sucker rods 4 or other "suitable means. Swab 3 is here shown of the form illustrated and described in my Patent No. 1,021,600, granted 'March 26, 1912, to which reference may befmade for 1ts detailed operation. It. will understood, however,

that the present invention may be utilized in connection with swabs of various forms, and hence is not limited or restricted to the particular type shown. In Fig.1, the swab is shown onits down stroke. with its top outlets" 3' open for the upward passage of fluid, as described in the above mentioned patent.

Swabbing tube 2 is provided with the usual upwardly opening foot or standing valve 5, from which a perforated anchor tube6 may extend to the bottom of the well. At a suitable distance above the standing valve a section 7 of the swabbing tube through which swab 3 operates is confined between the coupling heads or sockets 8, and this tube section 7 is open laterally at 9 for the admission of gas. I Tube section 7 is inclosed byrcasing 10 spaced therefrom and secured to heads 8, as shown. This casing is formed with a lateral inlet 11 which is normally closed by the free portion of the leaf spring 12, the lattersecured to the inner side of casing 10, as indicated at 12'. Inlet 11 is located above the portion of the well :in which water vordinarily accumulates, and

spring-closure 12 is" preferably of sufficient strength to remain closed against rel'atively lowv external gas pressure, say four or five pounds, as lower pressures would not be of much assistance in the operation. When the swabbing is to proceed, swab 3, acting as a pump piston, is r'eciprocated beneath the gas inlets 9 until the column of water reaches the latter. If the gaspressure is sufficiently strong, spring 12 is held open and the gas enters and passes upwardly through the swabbing tube, and when the column of water reaches such strong flow of gas it is blown or lifted thereby upwardly through and-ejected from the swabbing tube, the gas continuing to thus blow out the water-so long as the swab continues to repleni'shthe water column above inlets 9. If the gas pressure is too low to raise the water, or any considerable portion thereof, the swab is reoiprocated'sufiiciently to collect thereabove a column of water of desired height, the water-pressure holding spring 12 closed against inlet 11. Then on the final water-lifting strokeor travel of the swab it passes above inlets 9, and closureupward movement of the latter and to that extent decreases the force or power from above to 'withdraw the water-laden swab.

The invention may be utilized under widely varying conditions prevailing with in the well. In the present adaptation, the swabbing tube 2 is shown within a string of tubing or casing 13, the latter provided with a packer 14 for shutting off water that may accumulate in the portion of the well thereabove. The packer is of usual construction, for which no novelty is claimed. Portion 13 of tubing 13 beneath the packer is preferably perforated for a considerable distance vertically, as indicated at 15, the lower perforations serving to admit water, and the upper perforations admitting gas to the space between tubes 2 and 13. lVithout the upper perforations the gas might otherwise be closed off by water accumulation atthe exterior of tubing 13 and prevented from being available in the water-lifting operation above described. Furthermore, by thus admitting gas to the upper portion of that part of the well tubing beneath the packer, the flow of gas from the well is not so liable to be smothered or interrupted by accumulated water as when it can enter only at or adjacent the lower portion of tubing 13.

I claim 1. A swabbing tube for deep wells having a valved fluid inlet in that portion of the tube through which the swab operates.

2 A swabbingtube for deep wells having a lateral fluid inlet in the portion thereof through which the swab operates, and an inwardly opening closure for the inlet.

3. A swabbing tube for deep wells, the portion of the tube through which the swab operates being laterally open for the admission of fluid, a casing at the exterior of and secured to the tubing and inelosing the laterally open portion thereof, the casing provided with a fluid inlet, and a closure for said inlet.

4. A swabbing tube for deep wells, the portion of the tube through which the swab operates being open for the admission of fluid, a casing at the exterior of and spaced from the tubing and inclosing the open portionthereof, the casing havingja fluid inlet, and an inlet closure located and operative in the space between the casing and tubing.

5. A swabbing tube for deep wells, the portion of the tube through which the swab operates being open for the admission of fluid, a casing at the exterior of and spaced from the tubing and inclosing the open portion thereof, the casing having a fluid inlet, and a leaf-like spring in the space between the casing and tubing with the free portion of the spring adapted to close said inlet.

6. The combination of well tubing, a packer for shutting off water ;-which enters the well above the packer, the tubing extending beneath the packer and laterally perforated for the admission of gas and water, a swabbing tube within and spaced from the first mentioned tubing, a foot valve for the swabbing tube, a swab operative within the swabbing tube, and a valve-controlled lateral fluid inlet in that portionof the swab hing tube through which the swab operates.

"In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES M. i-IEETER.

Witnesses J. M. Nnsnrr,

F. E. GAI'IHER. 

